Are there any entrance tests for archaeology courses?

Q. I'm in Class XII. I  find Archaeology fascinating but I don't know how to take the next step. Do I have to answer any national entrance exams?

Anita Kumari, Panipat

A. Archaeology is the study of human past using the physical material remnants. Archaeologists examine these physical article to understand the culture, lifestyle and related aspects of the people of the past. They are usually very well versed with the history, geography and environmental facets of the articles and place that they investigate.

There are various institutions in India that offer Archaeology course. There are no particular exams at the national level to set your feet into this course. However, certain institutions may have their respective entrance exams.

The eligibility criteria differ from one college to the other. Nonetheless, some of the common conditions include, having passed Class XII (at least) from a recognised institution. The candidates wishing to apply should have at least about 50-60% in their Class XII.

One can be from science, arts or commerce background to study Archaeology. You can either do a certificate course, BA course and/or a M A or MSc course in Archaeology. If you wish to study more, you can also pursue a PhD or more.

Shivaji University, Kolhapur; Visva Bharati University, West Bengal; Maharaja’s College, University of Mysore, Mysore; The Maharaja Sayajiroa University of Baroda, Vadodara; Indira Gandhi National Tribal University, Madhya Pradesh; are some Colleges that you can look into.

Some examples of specialisations in this field are: Battlefield Archaeology, Marine Archaeology, Urban Archaeology, Experimental Archaeology, etc.

The field is seen as interesting altogether, as it helps draw the history.

Sanjay Arora is Chief Mentor and CEO of mavencareercoaching.com